Expert Says Rescuers Have a Single Chance to Save Titanic Submarine, if Found

• A naval architect mentioned that if the missing sub is found, rescuers will likely only have one opportunity to save it.
• If the submersible is still underwater, it’s probably resting on the ocean floor with its weight of 23,000 pounds.
• Officials have until Thursday to figure out a way to send a cable 13,000 feet down, attach it, and lift the vessel.

Locating the missing Titanic submersible in the vast Atlantic Ocean is challenging, but the real difficulty lies in retrieving it if it’s trapped deep beneath the sea. The US and Canadian authorities are currently searching for the submersible, which went missing while transporting five individuals to explore the wreckage of the Titanic at a depth of approximately 13,000 feet.

What happened to the submersible after losing contact with its mother ship remains unknown. It’s possible that the vessel resurfaced, leaving its passengers trapped inside. Alternatively, the vessel’s hull may have been breached, resulting in a worst-case scenario where everyone on board perished at such extreme depths. However, there is also a slim chance that the submersible, known as the Titan, is still submerged, intact, and with all five occupants alive.

There is some hope in this regard, as the US Coast Guard reported “underwater noises” discovered by a Canadian plane in the search area. According to Rolling Stone, citing internal memos, the aircraft picked up “banging” sounds at 30-minute intervals.

Experts have indicated that if the submersible is still intact deep underwater, the only feasible rescue option is to tow it back to the surface using the “Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System” (FADOSS). This system, developed by the US Navy, is capable of retrieving large submerged objects weighing up to 60,000 pounds. The Titan, weighing approximately 23,000 pounds, falls within its capacity.

Another remote system, the CURV-21, deployed by the US Navy, is capable of reaching depths of up to 20,000 feet but has a limited lift capacity of 4,000 pounds, making it unlikely to be useful in this situation. The US Navy has dispatched a FADOSS to assist in the rescue effort.

However, even with the FADOSS, the challenge remains for rescuers to successfully hook up the Titan submersible located thousands of feet underwater. Ocean recovery expert David Mearns suggests using a “world-class” remotely operated vehicle equipped with manipulators to grab or attach a line to the submersible. The deployment of such a vehicle by US and Canadian authorities has not been confirmed.

If the submersible is still in the water, rescuers will have to send a vehicle and cable that can reach the wreck of the Titanic, approximately 2.5 miles beneath the surface. France may provide a solution, as it plans to send the Atalante ship along with the Victor 6000 robot, capable of reaching depths of around 3.7 miles. The robot is equipped with cameras and has the ability to manipulate objects.

Time is of the essence in this rescue mission. Fotis Pagoulatos, a naval architect, warns that even if the Titan is found deep below, there may not be enough time to save the passengers due to the limited oxygen supply within the submersible. Rescuers will likely only have one opportunity to retrieve the submersible, and the US Coast Guard estimates that the emergency oxygen will last until Thursday afternoon Eastern Time.

While an elaborate deep-sea operation is possible, retired US Navy submarine captain David Marquet believes the chances of the passengers’ survival are only about 1%, urging their families to prepare for bad news.